Tourism study to start Feb. 3

Study will cover Henry, Mercer, rural Rock Island counties

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Star Courier - Kewanee, IL

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Posted Jan. 19, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Posted Jan. 19, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Cambridge

Federal and state grants have been received, and the Henry County Tourism Bureau will begin a tour-ism opportunity assessment beginning the week of Feb. 3. The study will take five months and cover Henry, Mercer and rural Rock Island counties.

“Tourism is a sound, viable economic impact strategy for communities and residents,” said Henry County Tourism Bureau Director Cathy Foes. “The purpose of this study is to discover development and enhancement opportunities within the region using the region’s distinctive historic, cultural, and natural assets.”

Foes said the study is needed because “Potential benefits of identifying tourism clusters, identifying strategic alliances, and the creation of collaborative marketing opportunities will result in creating a competitive advantage for our region.”

Joe Taylor, the Quad Cities Convention and Visitor Bureau director, said, “Effective tourism is about cooperatively creating an extraordinary visitor experience. The three counties have a long record of working together and the assessment will create stronger bonds, packaged products, and more satisfied visitors.”

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Travel and Tourism Strategy report of 2011 said the travel and tourism industry generated $1.2 trillion and supported 7.6 million jobs. Real travel tourism spending grew 3.5 percent in 2011, outpacing the 1.7 percent growth rate for the economy as a whole.

Tourism is regarded as one of five top employers worldwide and 90 percent of tourism businesses are small to medium in size.

Tourism in Illinois is a hidden revenue and jobs generator, Foes said. The estimated tax revenue generated by Illinois tourism each year is $2.3 billion.

One in 10 jobs in Illinois is related to tourism and they are jobs that stay on Illinois soil. The return on investment is $6 in local tax revenue for every $1 spent on tourism promotion, Foes said.

The study’s final report will provide target audience(s), market objectives, position, and strategies for existing assets. It will also provide a framework for developing future product segments.

“Investing in tourism to attract visitors to spend a day, night, or weekend in our region will assist in our communities to build tax revenues, jobs, and economic growth,” Foes said.